I believe one of the biggest reasons vegetarian and vegan cooking gets a bad name is because there are a ton of flavorless meals and recipes out there. I think it’s easier with a good cut of meat to just add a bit of salt/pepper then call it good and while I feel the same about vegetables (or just raw, by themselves), it’s not always easy to win over the meat eaters in my life (like my husband). It’s easier to assume that it must be bland because it’s vegetarian (not because I didn’t season it right). Seasoning in cooking is everything and that is especially true in vegetarian cooking.

So with that said, your spice cabinet is your best friend (even if it’s unruly with jars everywhere that may date back to the 1990’s- hi mom!) It’s worth thinking of this every once in awhile, doing a bit of cleaning, and stocking up on fresh spices (because you can season with older spices, but your not doing much to tackle the bland factor). I love places that have bulk bins for spices because then you can get as little (or as much) as you want which means freshness in flavor.

This chickpea shawarma recipe may seem like it takes more ingredients then it’s worth but if you have a solid spice cabinet (and pantry), it comes together with ease. All of these spices are ones I keep around for every day cooking. Add in chickpeas and millet (which are also always in my cupboard) and you’ve got yourself a meal that’s hearty and packed with flavor. You can also cater the toppings to whatever you like (leave the feta off for vegan, ditch the hummus for yogurt, etc).

On a separate spring-cleaning note, if you subscribe by email to the site (or are thinking about starting), I’ve created two new options to help keep your inbox clutter down. You can now subscribe to a weekly digest or even a monthly digest where all new recipes will arrive packaged in one simple email (that is nice to Outlook- problem fixed)!See the Recipe.

I made it back to the track this morning! After doing my Tues/Thurs speed sessions last week while in Canada on the treadmill (proud of myself for making that happen), it felt good to be outside again, and having someone telling me exactly what to do.

I felt good this morning – we started with a 3200 (8 laps aka 2 miles) at around our half marathon/10 mile pace. I did this around a 7:50 average pace. Then, we did some 400’s (one lap around the track) at a speedy 5k pace, with a short recovery jog in between. I did five 400’s; my one lap splits ranged from 1:39 to 1:48 – this is ranging from a 6:48 and 7:15 min/mile pace. My watch above shows my average for the time I was running – not the cool down jogs in between. Great workout!

I must have been feeling so speedy because I had pizza last night! Excellent fuel. I met my dietitian friend Jackie (yep, two dietitians eating pizza, you’re welcome) for dinner at Pete’s in Clarendon – they have 1/2 off pizza on Monday nights. Sweet! We both got side salads and then shared two big pizzas, taking home a bunch of leftovers. One pizza was chicken pesto on a normal crust, and the other (unpictured) was a veggie-filled pizza with Italian ham on a chickpea (gluten free) crust, just to mix it up. Delish!

Today has flown by – between my track workout, a couple early morning AnneTheRD clients, client follow ups, and catching up on emails, time got away from me! I took a nice break for lunch, though – I had leftovers from our taco feast the other night.

I made it into a big taco salad, layering the leftover ground turkey, black beans, onions, and peppers over some baby kale. I topped it with a shredded corn tortilla and then heated it up before putting a big ole dollop of guac on top. Plus some chili garlic hot sauce!

On the side, I had some veggie and fruit power! I ended up getting full and saving the strawberries for later, but ate the string beans and carrot.

And now, I’m going to enjoy a quick walking break before getting back to work – it’s GORGEOUS out today! Three cheers for spring!

The best recipe for the healthiest baked donut made from just 3 ingredients and no sugar added! We are excited to share this recipe with you today. We shared it last week on instagram and facebook and everyone loved it. Now we are have the more official recipe and recipe video for you so you can…

I want to update all of you on a few immediate actions we are taking on the Kids Eat Right pilot initiative with Kraft. As our Academy members, you deserve the most immediate as well as accurate information that we are able to provide.

The Academy and Kraft are in discussions to terminate the contract for our pilot program. This will take a short period of time to complete. We will continue to keep you posted as we move to finalize the termination.

Elements of the program are already in motion and cannot be changed. On April 1, Kraft Singles will begin appearing on retail shelves with the Kids Eat Right logo on the packaging. We are working with Kraft to limit the time it remains on the shelves.

The Academy deeply regrets the circumstances that have led to the pending termination of this initiative. As we have shared previously, we launched this initiative to raise consumer awareness about the importance of having vitamin D and calcium as essential nutrients in children’s diets.

This pilot initiative was never intended to be an official Academy endorsement of a particular product, which is strictly prohibited by our policy and is expressly included in all contracts.

The Board and Academy leadership are taking immediate steps to avoid a similar situation in the future. We will engage with the Academy House of Delegates and with all Academy members on future initiatives to promote healthful foods and nutrition in the most professional, ethical and transparent manner possible.

Thank you for your continued support of the Academy and your patience as we resolve this situation.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of much-needed and much-overdue dialogue on the academy’s corporate sponsorships…Dietitians need to continue advocating for an organization that represents us with integrity and that we can be proud of, rather than continually have to apologize for.